Until We Bleed
by paastelpetals
Summary: "He couldn't protect her as well as he thought. And now, because of him, she was gone. Disappeared from his life...forever." Levi and Mikasa were lovers. She had disappeared, pronounced MIA and presumed dead after he lost her on a mission. And it was all his fault. He spends his days grieving within the confinements of his room, sitting in his misery. That is, until she comes back.
1. Prologue

**Until We Bleed: Prologue**

**Thank you for checking out this story! It really means a lot to me. I saw the title on tumblr as one for a mix; whoever created it, kudos to you! The graphic for the cover was found on deviantart and created by Yutaka-Hatake. Thank you! Please enjoy. I'm well aware that this could stand on its own as a one-shot, but I've got some pretty spiffy ideas to turn it into a multi-chap fic. Should I do that? Well, this is already labeled as a prologue, so that already answers that question. Enough of my bantering. I'm sorry. Please leave feedback! Reviews are much appreciated.**

**-paastelpetals**

* * *

"Levi, you need to stop living like this. You have work to do with the cadets."

The captain clenched his steel eyes shut, silently cursing at the blonde commander behind the other side of the door. _Just leave me be, shitface._

He'd been cooped up in his room for a long time, shrouded in darkness and wallowing in his misery. He didn't really have an idea as to how much time he's been in here exactly, but it didn't matter. He was alone. His bed was cold.

More specifically, the spot on his bed where she usually slept was cold.

"_Levi_," Erwin said again, knocking on the door.

"Fuck off," came his simple reply; there was a waver in his hollow and strained voice. He knew Erwin noticed it as he saw the commander shift his weight onto his other foot uncomfortably from beneath the doorframe. He sat in silence for a few more seconds before he heard the quiet sound of Erwin's fading footsteps.

And it was then that he let himself grieve. Resting his elbows on his knees, he put his head in his hands and tugged on his hair. He broke; silent tears streamed down his cheeks, his teeth clenching as he repeated the same word in his mind over and over again: _stupid, stupid, stupid_. "I'm sorry, Mikasa," he whispered to himself. He sounded weak, even to his own ears. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ He was pathetic. He was Humanity's Strongest. Nothing could break him. But oh, what a burden it was to be dubbed as such. Because he wasn't as unbreakable as the public deemed; _she_ broke him.

The woman who had been by his side and unwaveringly tried her best to comfort him when he lost his whole squad to the Female Titan. She had held his hand in her pale one even after the many times he'd tried to push her away. She had bandaged his hands as he bloodied his fists trying to cope with the grief. She had fixed his cravat whenever it was crooked, or tied it for him when he didn't ask her to. He recalled to the times when they would drink tea together in the fields underneath the big oak tree, sharing stories. He remembered how she would always tease him about how much of a clean-freak he was, or how short his stature was. And he remembered that shitty red scarf of hers that he made her wash oftenly.

A fresh stream of tears ran down his face again. Why did he keep on doing this to himself? Why did he relive these moments, day after day after day? Perhaps it was to fill the void she left when she disappeared the day they had went on a mission. She had been pronounced missing in action, presumed dead. Her body was never found.

And it was his fault.

He couldn't protect her as well as he thought. And now, because of him, she was gone.

Disappeared from his life...forever.


	2. Chapter 1

**Until We Bleed: Chapter One**

**Here's chapter one! Enjoy, and please be sure to leave feedback. Thank you!**

**To my first and only reviewer so far: thank you! the chapters are intended to be longer, what you read before was only so short because it was a prologue. :)**

* * *

**Three months later**

It was the first day of autumn, Levi noted as he sat up from his bed and caught the sight of the gloomy gray skies. The big oak tree where he had spent his days with Mikasa all that time ago had leaves that turned into the colors of the sunset. Piled upon the dew-covered grass were crusty brown leaves, the mystifying colors of the sun shining onto the fields. Autumn had always been his favorite time of the year. It was like the end of the beginning. There was just something about the way the trees shed their leaves just to wait for spring so they could come back to life that enchanted him. It reminded him of himself in some kind of morbid, twisted way.

After taking a shower to rid himself of yesterday's grime, he slipped into his clothes and gear before standing in front of the full-length mirror before him. With skilled hands, he tied the cravat around his neck and adjusted it so that it fell right in the middle of his chest. He inhaled shakily as a memory of a raven-haired woman tying the scrap of silk around his neck invaded his mind; it was bittersweet, really. The cravat brought forth both bad and good memories of her.

Sighing once to himself before opening the door, the sullen man walked down the hallway, heading to the dining hall for breakfast. It's been nearly eight months since Mikasa disappeared. One month since Erwin had forced him to get up on his fucking ass and actually do his job or he'd lose it. A new class of cadets, the 107th Trainees Squad, would be recruited by the end of tonight. _Fucking fantastic_, he thought. _More shitty brats to deal with._ He didn't mind as much though. The titans were scarce now, almost extinct, thanks to Mikasa's adoptive brother.

He mindlessly grabbed a tray of food and sat down at a vacant table; he was not in the mood to make small talk. Besides, more than most of the people in the Scouting Region steered clear of him after he beat a poor cadet to a bloodied pulp when he brought up the topic of Mikasa. He sat and quietly sipped at his tea, eyes wandering around the room. He stopped to observe Eren Jaegar. He'd known the brat for three years. The green-eyed titan shifter was all smiles and laughter, but everyone easily saw through his facade. Levi noticed how there were bags under his eyes, and the way he carried himself was different: as if he were missing something. Or rather, someone. He sat with Armin Arlert and the others from the 104th Trainees Squad: Sasha, Jean, Connie, and Krista.

After draining his cup of tea, he dumped his tray into the garbage chute and left to carry on with his tasks: paperwork, cleaning, and more paperwork.

* * *

_He was riding in the front, leading the group, trying his best to stay away from the titans. For both the titan shifter's sake and Mikasa's. He had already sworn to himself that he'd keep her safe. Always. Although their relationship was kept in the dark from others, numerous people have been catching on due to the heated or teasing glances they would throw each other from across the room or across the field. Once, Eren and Armin had walked into the two making out in the hallway. _

_Mikasa, Eren, Armin, Jean, and several other senior cadets rode behind him, Mikasa near the back of the group. He had requested that she be near the front with Eren and himself, but the commander had deemed her most useful towards the back. He put up a fight, but begrudgingly gave in; Erwin was his superior, after all. _

_As they were riding, several black signal flares rose up into the sky, warning them of an abnormal, or several, titans approaching them. Levi glanced behind him for a quick second, hearing the sound of rumbling. A mob of abnormal titans gaining on them. _Fuck,_ he cursed to himself. Gritting his teeth, Levi turned back to face the front and spurred his horse to the right, firing a green flare right after. It was normally Erwin's job to do so, but he was in charge of this mission. He was relieved when the titans chose to ignore them. _

_He turned back onto the course originally sent and fired another green flare. All he needed to do was capture one normal dead titan for Hanji before the mission was completed; the group on the other side had already captured an alive abnormal one. Spotting a titan up ahead, he sped up. It would be an easy enough task._

_He leapt off his horse and caught his 3DMG grapple hook into the back of the titan. With a swift slice, he cut the nape of its neck open, and it immediately perished. "Let's get it back to the Scouting Region," he says, wiping the blood off his blades. _

_"Captain," Mikasa said, pointing behind him at the oncoming wave of titans. He turned around and sighed. When he turned back to the front, he noticed that there were more titans in front of them. In a matter of seconds, they were surrounded on all sides. He cursed. Without another word, the whole group sprung into action and flew in different directions, toward the titans. Sweat gleamed off his forehead as he killed multiple titans. In the corner of his eye, he observed Mikasa do the same. A small smile appeared on his face- so small that unless someone knew him well, they would not see the minimal quirk of his lips. The Woman Worth a Hundred Soldiers. A fitting title._

_He turned back around and slayed the titans. Before long, they were all gone. He looked around at his group. Everyone fared well, save some minor cuts and bruises here and there. None of them were devoured: a good sign. He turned to look at Mikasa, but stopped in his tracks._

_Where was Mikasa?_

_"Where the _fuck_ is Senior Cadet Ackerman?" he asked, his voice icy and laced with anger. Everyone looked around, finding no trace of the woman anywhere. "Ackerman!" he yelled several times, but to no avail. That was when he noticed the distant figure of a running titan- abnormal. No doubt, Mikasa either chased after it, or she was devoured. He desperately hoped it was the former. "Damn it all to bloody hell," he cursed. "You guys get our titan back to the Region. I'll go get Ackerman," he ordered. When they didn't move, Levi yelled, "Now!" before using his 3DMG to catch up to the titan. But it was no use. It was already too far away, on flat ground. He inhaled shakily and chased after it on foot. After a few minutes, it had already disappeared from his view. He gritted his teeth in anger and continued to run forward aimlessly, taking wild guesses as to where the titan had gone. By the time nightfall came around, he finally collapsed onto the ground on his knees, holding his head in his hands. He failed. _

_She was gone._

He woke up with a start, panting, to the sound of a fist knocking on wood. He trudged forward, flinging the door open to be met with the all-too-happy face of Hanji. "What the fuck do you want, Shitty Glasses?" he deadpanned, running a hand over his face to wipe all traces of sleep away.

"It's time for the ceremony! Have you forgotten already, old man?" she asked, practically jumping up and down in excitement. "New recruits!"

_Old man._

He winced; Mikasa had called him that before, on more than one occasion. He walked towards the front of the Scouting Region entrance, where the new recruits would be, no doubt. A group would be assigned to him. He pushed past Hanji and left his office, slamming the door behind him as she trudged down the hall and to the entrance.

All around him, he saw the eager faces of the cadets, the same look of determination in all of their bright eyes. There were many more recruits than the previous years; it was astonishing. In the 104th Trainees Squad, they had only had twenty recruits, fifteen in the 105th. Now, they had at least fifty cadets. His cold, calculating eyes roamed the crowd as the cadet talked amongst themselves. He froze when he felt several pairs of eyes on him.

Turning to the left, he spotted a group of female cadets, some blushing and others giggling when they saw him look over at them. Levi scoffed, a small, "tch," escaping his lips. He strode over to where Erwin stood, a list of names in his hands.

"Attention!" the blonde commander called, his voice bellowing and echoing through the chilly air. He watched with silent lips as every soldier immediately became hush. They turned to face Erwin, Hanji, Mike, and Levi. Normally, there would be four captains serving directly underneath Erwin, but the spot has been vacant. The commander would have to promote some people as to fill in the positions soon. The cadets, in their shitty beige jackets and gear, rose their right fists over their hearts in salute. "At ease, cadets," Erwin ordered, and the fists went back the way they came. Levi rolled his eyes and shifted uncomfortably as he felt a pair of eyes staring directly at him. He glanced over and noticed it was a girl from the group who had been shamelessly staring at him earlier. She had light green eyes- the color of jade- and dark brown hair that tumbled all the way down to her waist. He tore his eyes away and opted to stare aimlessly in the sea of cadets instead. "I will be assigning you to your squad and to your captain, so please pay full attention and stay quiet. To my right is Hanji Zoe, Mike Zacharius, and the man dubbed Humanity's Strongest Soldier: Levi Rivaille Ackerman."

He felt the whole crowd turning to stare at him, and he silently cursed Erwin for doing this to him. Every. Single. Year.

He didn't pay much attention as the new recruits were placed into Hanji's group and then Mike's. By the time it was his turn, he tore his mind away from his plans to bleach his bed sheets and file cabinet.

"Jada Amsden, Brad Arnette, Lucie Braden, Reina Heredia, and Holden Sage, you're all with Captain Levi," Erwin announced, and Levi took note that he was assigned way less cadets than Mike and Hanji. Not that he minded.

He stepped off the wooden stage and down to the grassy fields, his boots stepping over the fallen leaves, resulting in the crunching sound beneath his soles. The group of five made their way over to him. He noticed with slight disturbance that Jada Amsden was the girl with jade green eyes and long dark brown hair who had been staring at him earlier. _Jada,_ he thought. _What a fitting name._

Brad Arnette had a tall, slender physique that reminded him of Bertholdt in his last year; he had blonde hair and amber eyes. Lucie Braden looked almost identical to Krista Lenz. They both had the same blonde hair and blue eyes, but Lucie was taller and her body was curvy, with lean muscles on her arms. While Krista had seemed doe-eyed and innocent, Lucie looked to be the exact opposite. Reina Heredia had long dark red hair that she tied into a ponytail at the crown of her head. Her face remained stoic and cold, almost calculating. If he were to bet on it, he assumed that she was the one who ranked first in her class. Holden Sage was tall and well-built, with dirty blonde hair and azure eyes. He looked like the typical ladies man.. and judging by that grin he just sent Lucie, Levi was more than likely correct.

"Captain Levi, it's so nice to finally meet Humanity's Strongest-" the words began spilling out from Lucie's mouth, but Levi stopped her with a hard glare.

"Save it, brat," he said, his voice still hoarse. He cleared his throat. "We'll be going on an expedition in two months to explore the territory and hunt for the last of the Titans. It is presumed that this final expedition will wipe those shitfaces off the face of this planet." Jada blushed as his eyes fell upon her after examining the other cadets. He rolled his eyes and continued. "Go with Captain Hanji's group to the dining hall to have dinner. Your work starts tomorrow, six in the morning. Sharp."

With that, he walked away, only to disappear into his room.

* * *

Hours later, once dinner was over and the new recruits as well as the senior cadets were out socializing and sparring out on the field, he stepped outside and felt the crisp air blow his way, sending a shiver down his spine. He walked over to the big oak tree where he had shared so many of his memories with the woman who'd captured his heart and then broke him. It was ironic, really. He was Humanity's Strongest Soldier, and yet, love had broken him. It was the single most bittersweet thing that could ever possibly exist on this earth. It had the ability to destroy you, but at the same time, it was capable of engulfing you in this feeling of euphoria.

He pressed his back against the bark and slowly slid down to rest upon the grass and leaves, closing his eyes and trying to sort out the mess in his mind that's been there for eight months. With Mikasa gone, his life was dull. A blur of days and nights, sunsets and sunrises. Mikasa's going had in some way taken the brightness, the color, the meaning out of everything. The conditions of his life were in no way changed, but his whole existence was dulled, like a faded garment which seems to be no longer worth wearing. He clenched his eyes and both his fists shut tightly, turning around to punch the bark out of months and months of pent up anger and frustration. He was only feeling this way because he couldn't keep his promise. He let her get away from him. He let that _titan_ snatch her out from his life. And now, he was suffering the consequences.

"Captain?" he heard a soft, feminine voice say from beside him, and he opened his eyes and glanced to his left to see Jada standing there, twiddling her thumbs nervously. She blushed furiously, the splotches of red appearing all over her cheeks.

"What do you want, brat?" he asked, turning back to the front and closing his eyes, rubbing his temple.

"I-I was just over there," she said, pointing a few feet away, where a group of new recruits were messing around, "with my friends, and I couldn't help but notice you over here. You.. you looked sad. Broken, actually. And I was just.. wondering if you were okay." The girl bit her lip, looking anywhere but him at the moment. She was so easily flustered, he noted.

"It's none of your fucking business. Go back to your shitty friends," he hissed, sending a heated glare her way. Why did she even fucking care? She barely knew him.

"Oh. I-I'm terribly sorry, Captain. My apologies," she muttered before stalking off back to where she came from.

From behind him, he heard Jada talking to her peers.

"Well, obviously!" yelled Lucia, throwing her arms up in the air. "Rumor has it that he lost his girlfriend of one and a half years to a titan eight months ago. Haven't you heard? She was, like, the one they called the Woman Worth a Hundred Soldiers. Graduated top in her class and everything. She even made it to first lieutenant in a matter of only two years. Crazy, isn't it?"

"Only you would know that much information, Lucia. Such a gossip," teased Holden.

"Whatever. You know I live for gossip."

Before they could utter another word of bullshit, Levi heard a distant voice calling his name. He turned and discovered a haggard-looking Hanji, who looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"Levi!" she yelled, a certain urgency in her voice that immediately caught his attention. "Levi!" she repeated once more, ambling towards him. By now, all of the cadets and everyone else on the field quieted down, paying attention to the commotion.

"What is it, Hanji?" He stood up from the ground and wiped the dirt and leaves off from his pants and green cloak.

"It's Mikasa," she breathed, catching her breath. "She's alive."

* * *

**Leave a review! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 2

**After going over the last chapter, I realized there were a load of grammar and typo mistakes. Oops. I'll just post this chapter up and look it over when I have the time. _Latias426_, I personally love Mikasa x Levi because they seem like kindred spirits to me. Both had a rough childhood, and both are considered the strongest soldiers. It also seems that it would make sense that they'd fall in love, considering the circumstances. Mikasa would definitely have deep respect for her captain, and, in turn, Levi would have respect for Mikasa because of her bravery or her combat skills. Since they would spend so much time together training or sipping tea, their respect for each other would presumably blossom into friendship, and then into love. Just my opinion. If that didn't make sense, I don't really know. They just seem so fitting together for me.**

**** WARNING ** May have heavy content. Blacked-out sex scene.**

* * *

The moment his steel gray eyes that seemed to display every emotion and yet no emotion at the same time catched her jade green ones, she felt heat rise up to her cheeks. Although he was terribly rude and blunt, as shown by his words before dinner earlier, Jada just couldn't shake off her growing feelings for the man.

Captain Levi.

For the first time, she recognized the symptoms of infatuation which she had felt incipiently as a child, and then as a girl in her early teens. The recognition did not lessen the reality, the poignancy of the revelation by any suggestion or promise of instability. The past was nothing to her; offered no lesson which she was willing to heed. The future was a mystery which she never attempted to penetrate. The present alone was significant; she hoped the mysterious captain would allow her to break down his walls. By the looks of it, he was broken. He lost his light.. whatever or whoever it had been. And she had every intention of fixing him- of picking up the pieces. But, oh, what a cliche that was. To dream of fixing a beautifully broken man. She had high hopes and expectations nonetheless.

The thought of him made her heart race faster despite her efforts. Everything about him she saw enrapturing, captivating. His hair the color of ebony, those sharp, intimidating gray orbs that had the ability to tell the world a thousand stories, and yet, none. The slight furrow on his eyelids that gave him the careless, cold, calculating look that portrayed the image of being tough. His pale pink lips particularly stood out to her. His body was not too far from perfection, either. His physique was well-developed and heavy with muscle. Aside from his constant frown, his expression is calm, and his unflappable demeanor oftentimes made it difficult to guess what he was thinking.

All the more for her to discover.

Approaching him, she stopped short when he unexpectedly got up to his feet and angrily attacked the gigantic tree before him. She watched with a slightly horrified expression as she heard a small _crack_ and his skin split, blood spilling.

"Captain?" she asked warily.

He whipped around, narrowing his eyes at her. "What do you want, brat?" He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. She sighed quietly. It was obvious; she could see it now.. He was suffering. From loss, from stress, she didn't know.

"I-I was just over there," she cursed herself in her thoughts for stuttering and making a fool of herself already, pointing towards her group of friends where Lucie, Holden, Reina, and Brad, "with my friends, and I couldn't help but notice you over here. You.. you looked sad. Broken, actually. And I was just... wondering if you were okay." She bit her lip as she felt heat rise up to her cheeks once more. _Damn it, Jada,_ she thought. _You're doing a very good job at embarrasing yourself. _What was she even doing? He was her boss.. but still, that didn't matter to her. And she hoped it didn't matter to him.

"It's none of your fucking business. Go back to your shitty friends," he snapped, something violent in his eyes appearing as he glared at her.

"Oh," she said stupidly. "I- I'm terribly sorry, Captain. My apologies." She hurriedly walked away, back to her friends. "Oh my god," she sighed, running a hand over her face as she stopped to sit down in between Reina and Brad. "I just embarrassed myself in front of Captain Levi."

"You're blushing so hard. I'm so sorry for you," chuckled Reina.

"Well obviously!" Lucia cried out. "Rumor has it that he lost his girlfriend of one and a half years to a titan eight months ago. Haven't you heard? She was, like, the one they called the Woman Worth a Hundred Soldiers. Graduated top in her class and everything. She even made it to first lieutenant in a matter of only two years. Crazy, isn't it?"

She tuned out the rest of the conversation, thinking about the new load of information just dumped upon her. Of course. It made sense now. From the looks of it, it was difficult for the captain to fall in love. And when he finally did, and he lost her, it was no surprise that he broke. The Woman Worth a Hundred Soldiers.

Would she ever live up to that woman? She sounded as if she were the best of the best, and it intimidated Jada. What if she could never compare to her?

She snapped out of her thoughts when Captain Hanji Zoe came running forward, straight towards Captain Levi whilst yelling out his name as if there were no tomorrow. She looked pale and shaken up.

"Levi!" she called out several times, each time growing more and more hurried and frantic. By now, every single pair of eyes is staring intently at the two, who were talking in fast, hushed voices.

Looking renewed and determined, Levi pushed Hanji out of his way and ran away.

"Wha-" she whispered, but she was cut off by the cries of two senior cadets: Eren Jaegar and Armin Arlert, who both repeatedly yelled the same name.

"Mikasa!"

They sprinted forward, and soon enough, everyone else on the field ran forward, crowding around someone..

The other cadets, even the commander himself, came rushing forward. _What was happening?_

"What the hell is going on?" Lucie asked, and they all looked to each other in panicked glances.

Together, they all ran towards the gigantic crowd forming.

* * *

"It's Mikasa," Hanji breathed, catching her breath. "She's alive."

Levi froze. _How..? _It wasn't possible. She couldn't of had survived out there, on her own, for eight whole months. This was bullshit. But then again... "Are you bullshitting me, Hanji? Because if you are, I will personally make your life hell, Shitty Glasses," he snapped, his voice growing dangerously quiet.

"I saw it with my own eyes, Levi. You know I would never joke about something as serious as this."

Without another word, Levi pushed past Hanji and sprinted forward as fast as he could. Mikasa.. she's alive. She's been alive. What if she was seriously hurt? What if she was mentally or physically unstable? He wouldn't be surprised if she was; spending eight whole months alone, roaming a land with titans would definitely leave an emotional toll.. but this was Mikasa he was talking about. She was strong. A soldier. A survivor.

He was at the very front entrance of the Scouting Region now, and a few feet away, he spotted a raven-haired woman, dirt in her face and in her hair. Her clothes were grimy and ripped. In her hands were two bloody blades.

"Mikasa..?" he whispered to himself, and then he started yelling out to her. "Mikasa!" There was a sea of faces behind him, eagerly waiting for the return of the heroic soldier. Eren and Armin came running forward, pushing through the crowd. They, too, yelled out her name. She looked up, staring straight at her home. Where her friends were. Her lover, her brother, her best friends. She ran forward, tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks.

Levi ran forward to meet her halfway with new found energy. Behind him, he heard the footsteps of Eren and Armin, who were running right behind him. He felt something wet run down both sides of his cheeks and realizd they were tears. Mikasa had returned to him. She had come home. He wrapped his arms around her, tightly, and kissed her everywhere: from both sides of her cheeks to her nose, her forehead, her chin, her temples, and finally, her lips. He didn't even care that she was covered in dirt. He didn't care because he finally got her back. She looped her arms around his shoulders in return, tears flowing rapidly as she kissed Levi with all she had. Eight months.

Eight months she had been away from him. From his gentle smile, to his vulgar and blunt attitude, his cravat, his clean-freak ways, his fiercely caring nature, his short stature..

She pulled away from him to instead look him over, laughing through the tears. "Is it just me or did you grow a few inches taller?"

Despite it all, he found himself chuckling as he picked her up from the waist and spun her around after kissing her forehead. He set her down back to the ground after, resting his forehead against hers.

Meanwhile, all around them, he heard the whoops and cheers of the cadets. But he didn't care and he didn't bother to glance over at them. He'd much rather stare at the beautiful woman in front of him.

"Will someone get Lieutenant Ackerman some water?" he yelled into the crowd without taking his eyes off of her. He was afraid that if he did, she'd disappear. A few kisses later, she squeezed his hand and walked over to Eren and Armin, who'd been patiently waiting. He watched with a small smile as she took them both into her arms, crying even harder than before. It was then that a newly recruited cadet came rushing forward with a water bottle in his hands. Levi snatched it out from his fingers and rolled his eyes. "Tch," he scoffed. "What, did you stop to take a shit?" Before the cadet could answer, the captain walked away and placed a hand on Mikasa's back, handing her the beverage. She sent him a warm smile as he wrapped his arm around her waist. She chugged down at least half of the bottle before screwing the cap back on and resting her head on his shoulder.

"While this homecoming is great and all, do you think I could go take a shower and sleep? I'm really tired," she said after placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Come on, brat," he said, grabbing her hand and pushing through the crowd. She smiled at the nickname; she had missed it way more than she'd like to admit. Jaegar and Arlert stood behind her, helping them push away the hands reaching out to comfortingly touch Mikasa.

The pair didn't even see the pair of jade green eyes staring intently at them, tears forming in their ducts.

* * *

Jada pushed her way to the front of the crowd, watching as Captain Levi sprinted towards a tall, slender woman with black hair and onyx eyes; her skin looked like porcelain, and her lips and cheeks were incredibly rosy. Despite the dirt and mud stuck to her skin, hair, and clothes, the woman, Mikasa, she learned, still looked stunning. No wonder the captain had fallen for her.. and if she was as strong and as incredible as the stories say, then she couldn't of had blamed Captain Levi.

"She's beautiful," Holden, who was next to her, whispered. Jada cringed. Now she knew she couldn't compete with Mikasa. She looked away when the two kissed and smiled. She tried tuning out the sounds of their elated laughter while he spun her in the air and ordered a cadet from her class to get some water for her. But she paid full attention when they started pushing through the crowd, presumably up to his room.

Jada tried to hold back the tears and told herself to stop being so childish. She was only infatuated anyways. That was all she felt for him. Infatuation..

So why the hell did it hurt so much?

* * *

Hours later, Mikasa woke up to warmth for the first time in eight months. Those treacherous, terrible days were scarring. It was all a blur to her- of sleepless nights plagued by haunted memories and nightmares and the all too familiar feeling of always being watchful and alert despite her eyes that continuously tried to close. She was more than glad to be back.

As she opened her eyes, she saw morning light pushing out from behind the cream curtains, streaming out from Levi's gigantic glass windows. She turned her head to see the serene, sleeping face of her captain. She sighed happily and rested her forehead against his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. She had missed this so much. She looked over to the digital clock on the nightstand. It was half past four in the morning. They wouldn't have to start the day until an hour and a half later.

She felt him shift, and she looked upwards to see his eyes staring down into hers.

"Morning, old man," she said, watching as a small smile appeared on his face.

"Shut up and kiss me, Ackerman," he replied with ease.

"Aye aye, captain."

She leaned forward and their lips crashed together. He caressed her cheeks with his calloused hands, and she found herself smiling within the kiss. Even in the early hours of the morning, he tasted like crisp mint. The kiss was slow and passionate, as if they were savoring the moments. And they were.

They broke apart and took in a few gulps of air, only to let their lips mingle once more. Before they even knew it, Levi was on top of her, and he was slipping off the straps of her nightgown. Slowly, he pulled the thin piece of silk off her curvy body and discarded it on the wooden floorboards. He ran his hands down the sides of her hips, and at the contact of their skin, a mixture of emotions shot straight into her system: desire, lust, and excitement. Everywhere he touched she felt a sizzling burning feeling, and her breath kept coming in shorter as more seconds ticked by. From the way his hands were moving, it was pretty easy to tell that their desires were mutual.

He reached up and pulled her deeper into the covers with him, into a never-ending abyss of pleasure and desire.

* * *

Together, the two stepped out of the shower. She smiled at Levi, feeling nothing but bliss and satisfaction. They took turns dressing each other, Mikasa slowly buttoning his white dress shirt, zipping up his trousers, tying the shoelaces on his boots, securing his green cloak around his frame, and finally, adjusting the cravat around his neck. When he was fully dressed, he did the same for her. After sliding on her tall, leather boots, he took out her red scarf from a drawer in his dresser and wrapped it around her neck delicately.

"I washed your shitty scarf for you. You're welcome," he said quietly as he secured it around her neck.

"Much appreciated." She shot him a bright smile. "Let's go, breakfast is soon," she said, taking his hand in her pale one and leading them down the hall.

"Is it just me or is that the look of sexual afterglow?" Lucie asked, a pestering smirk on her hot red lips.

Jada, who was currently sitting at the dining table eating her breakfast, looked over to where Lucie was staring to see Captain Levi and First Lieutenant Ackerman sitting together at a table, the former sipping at his cup of tea and the latter munching on an apple. Although they looked normal enough, she could see a certain.. aura around the both of them. And that was all it took for Jada to confirm that they were making love not too long ago.

"She's good for him, don't you think?" Lucie asked no one in particular, smiling in adoration at the sight of the two.

Jada didn't even bother to reply as she trashed her tray and walked out of the dining hall. Training under their supervision would be even harder now, as it would also be to keep from embarrassing herself.

Life was about to get complicated.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review! Also, thank you to the previous reviewers and everyone who's favorited or added this story to their alerts. It means the world to me. **


	4. Chapter 3

**** PLEASE READ ****

**First of all, I'm a bad person. I know. I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I had writer's block. Well, I still have writer's block, but I managed to write out this chapter for you guys. I had a whole big-ass plot with a maniacal twist for this story, but I completely forgot it. It was a jumbled mess anyways. Do you guys have any ideas for me? PM me please? Or you could just leave it in a review. Either way, it would help me get out of this funk and make me more motivated to actually write. Enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Two months later**

There were days when she was very happy without knowing why. She was happy to be alive and breathing. Her whole being seemed to be one with the sunlight, the color, the odors, the luxuriant warmth of some perfect day. It was then that she found herself content with the daily routine she had— wake up everyday at six in the morning, take care of her hygiene and get dressed, have breakfast with Levi, observe and help her captain train his new cadets, lunch, free time (which she usually spent either with Levi, catching up with her brother and Armin, or just simply sitting down and thinking), dinner, and then lights out. She was no longer malnourished and fit once more. Except she didn't have her abdominal muscles anymore. It was a shame, really.

There were days when she was unhappy, she did not know why—when it did not seem worth while to be glad or sorry, to be alive or dead; when life appeared to her like a grotesque pandemonium and humanity like worms struggling blindly toward inevitable annihilation. The titans were scarce now; knowing this made her feel somehow bittersweet. She was currently leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree and thinking as Levi, Hanji, and Mike trained the newest cadets. She looked around at the determined (and some frightened) faces. Some of these soldiers will be jobless when the titans are extinct. Most homeless, even. Of course, they were guaranteed the indebtedness and gratitude of the townspeople and the higher-ups, but for what? Although yearned for by many, the indebtedness and gratitude of many would not help put food on their tables or a roof over their heads.

But, then again, she thought that being homeless or jobless would certainly be a better fate than having to face the forests for three weeks, going to sleep with the constant and nagging fear of being snatched by a titan. She remember the mission from eight months ago so vividly. She had managed to latch her 3DMG grapple hook firmly onto the back of a titan. As she was flying forward, blades ready to slash a deep cut into the nape of the monster's neck, she felt weightlessness. It couldn't of had lasted more than three seconds at most, but it seemed much longer to her, as if she was falling in slow motion. In those three seconds, she could feel her heartbeat fastening and her panic rising as her 3DMG malfunctioned. When saw the titan's hand reach down and felt the hand close around her frame, she tried _so_ _incredibly hard_ to wriggle out, to call out for Levi, anyone, to come and help her. Because, in that moment, the Woman Worth a Hundred Soldiers was stuck in a crisis. Life or death. But she couldn't find her voice. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't even scream as she looked death straight in the eye. She could only barely flail. The only thing she could do as she was lifted into the titan's agape mouth was watch silently as Levi killed off titans, tears streaming down her cheeks.

And then, to some miracle, she woke up covered in saliva, stomach acid, and blood in the middle of a lush forest. Her mind was blank and her eyes were wide as she slowly sat up. It was when she caught sight of her dirtied scarf a few feet away that she suddenly remembered everything: who she was, where she lived, her occupation, her loved ones. And that train of thought had made her find her way through the forest and make her mind set on one thing: getting back to Levi, Eren, and Armin. So she trekked through the forest for three weeks. She lived off of anything she could find— leaves, berries, nuts, and, occasionally, any meat she could find. At dusk, she curled up within the confinement of a bush or atop a tree and tried finding sleep. Not that she got much of that. She couldn't, not with the fear of being snatched up by a titan. There were several close encounters, but she had obviously managed. The moment she came home to the Survey Corps Headquarters, she was almost too overjoyed to comprehend the question someone had asked her: _how did you manage to survive out there for eight whole months?_ Almost.

She had only "survived out there" for one month. She remembered being swallowed alive by the titan, dying within its stomach, and then, suddenly, she wounded up in the middle of the forest. And then again, that had only taken up a month of her life. Well, according to her memory, at least. So why was she gone for eight months?

"Um," suddenly came a small, mousy voice. "Miss Ackerman? Oh! No, uh, First Lieutenant Ackerman?"

Mikasa looked up to see a relatively short girl, maybe around the height of Krista, standing there. She had large, doe eyes the color of jade and long, wavy brown hair.

"Do I know you?" She asked, her voice and face deadpan. She glanced behind the girl's shoulder to see Levi sparring with one of the new cadets. She looked back to the girl, waiting for the girl to respond.

"M-my name is Jada. Jada Amsden. I'm one of the cadets from the 107th Trainees Squad. Captain Levi asked me to fetch you a glass of water, and, uh.."

That was when she first noticed the tall glass of water in her hand, and Mikasa smiled at the girl. "Thank you," she said as she stopped leaning against the tree and stood properly, taking the glass. "I'm grateful. And please thank Captain Levi for me as well." She took a sip of the ice cold water. Levi was quite protective and caring of her lately— from sending her glasses of either water or lemonade, and occasionally snacks, on a random whim, to keeping others away from her when she didn't want to be bothered and pestered by others while eating breakfast or training outside. It was endearing, and it had only brought them closer.. if that was even possible.

The girl, Jada, as she learned, nodded and turned around, only to turn right back and open her mouth hesitantly while Mikasa sipped at her water. "Are you and Captain Levi married? Because, I mean, your last names are both Ackerman and.." Mikasa choked, and Jada's eyes widened. She rushed forward and patted Mikasa on the back as she coughed heavily, tears springing to her eyes. "I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to.. it's just— I was curious! My apologies!"

Upon hearing the commotion from behind him, Levi turned around and spotted Mikasa choking. He sighed when he realized it was probably because of something Jada spewed from her mouth. That girl was like a walking disaster; she had been constantly causing disorder when she was around him. Leaving two cadets to spar, Levi walked over to the two just as Mikasa stopped choking and breathed in gulps of air.

"Cadet Amsden, you should get back to training. It seems like you can't even deliver a glass of water to First Lieutenant Ackerman; it was a simple enough task as it was."

Jada nodded grimly. "Yes, Captain Levi. My apologies. To both of you," she breathed out, hurrying back to Lucie and the others.

"Are you alright?" Levi asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. She gave him a small smile and nodded.

"She asked me if we were married. Since we both share the same surname, and all," Mikasa replied, giggling quietly into her palm which rose to cover her mouth. "How ludicrous does that sound?"

"Hm," Levi pondered, a small smile making its way onto his face as he brushed wisps of ebony hair behind her ear. "It doesn't sound all that bad to me. Being married, that is."

Mikasa paused for a second, blush appearing on her porcelain cheeks. Within seconds, the look of surprise is wiped from her face and replaced with a look of contentment as scenes of her and the man standing in front of her living in the same house, forming a family flashed into her mind. "I guess not."

Levi gently squeezed her hand before walking back to the cadets.

* * *

"I just completely embarrassed myself in front of First Lieutenant Ackerman and Captain Levi. So much for a good first impression on her," muttered Jada as she walked back over to Lucie and sighed. "You know, it would be a whole lot easier to hate her if she wasn't so nice. Looking at them, it's kind of like they're on a perpetual honeymoon, and yet they still handle their relationship so maturely. They don't flaunt their relationship into other's faces; they're never too open with it. I kind of wish they would be, though." _Because the more subtle they are, the more she finds herself watching their every move. _She notices how their hands quietly find each other's while they sit down or while they stand next to each other, how Captain Levi automatically steps in front of her when another cadet feels the need to converse aimlessly to her about her last eight months, and how he watches her out of the corner of his eye all the time. She notices it all.

"You seem to be doing a lot of that lately, embarrassing yourself," the blonde replied. "Stop rambling, please. You're giving me a migraine."

* * *

"First Lieutenant Ackerman, you will be with your captain and his cadets for the next, and presumably, final mission to eliminate the titans and drive them to extinction. It is to be expected that you ride in the very back of the group, behind the cadets. Hanji's team will ride behind you. Mike and I will be on the other side with our own troops," Commander Erwin said, pointing to a color coordinated map of their squads and the different routes.

"No," Levi cut in immediately, slamming his fist down onto the wooden desk in front of him. "I refuse to let First Lieutenant Ackerman accompany us on this mission."

"Levi—" She began, reaching forward to touch his arm, but before she can continue, Commander Erwin intervenes.

"While I do understand that she has just come back and that you think she may not be emotionally ready for another mission, I personally think she is. But, ultimately, the decision is hers." She can feel Levi tense up next to her, his fists and jaw clenching. Although he seemed to be the type, he was never one to disobey his superior's words; he has always respected order, structure, and discipline. However, she knew that there were times like these where he was a bit more reluctant. "What's your choice, Ackerman?"

Stealing a glance at Levi, who was staring at her in a '_tell-him-you'd-rather-stay-at-headquarters-or-I'll-throw-away-your-shitty-red-scarf'_ manner, she sighed and reverted her eyes to her boots before answering. "I wish to help carry out this mission, Commander."

"Very well. Then, to accommodate for Captain Levi, you will be riding alongside him. Now, let's discuss strategy," the blonde commander replied easily as Levi glared at her from beside him.

"Oh, stop it, old man. You'll give yourself a nosebleed," Mikasa whispered into his ear, leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss on his temple, where a vein seemed to pop out from his anger.

He simply sighed and gave in, anger ebbing away as he stared over at her.

* * *

Later on in the evening, Jada was sitting on her bed, fighting a war in her mind.

_If I just tell him or show him how I feel, it would make me feel better.. right? It would either make him see that I am an option; that he could leave Ackerman for me. But it would also help me realize that he might not love me and I can move on._

That was it. She had made up her mind.

Sitting up from her bed with newly found determination, she stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her, marching towards Captain Levi's office. She walks down the hall, and upon seeing that the lights are off, she turns around and decides to instead go to his room.

Once she arrived in front of the door that was labeled 'Captain L. R. Ackerman', she knocked timidly, suddenly growing nervous and shy. When no answer came, she tried twisting the knob, which easily opened.

She stepped in cautiously, seeing that he was asleep in his bed. She had half a mind to turn around and run away— pretend that she'd never overstepped her boundaries and trespassed into his room in the first place. But something in the back of her mind told her to go wake him up and tell him.

So she did.

She walked over, shaking his shoulder so that he woke up. When he opened his slate grey eyes, they widened as they locked onto her face and he sat up rapidly in his bed.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing in my room?" he asked, standing up and sending her a look that could kill.

"I.." she muttered, her palms shaking and forming nervous sweat.

"Will you just fucking spit it out, Amsden?"

"I like you. I have since I saw you when I first came here, and— uhm," she spat out quickly, before leaning in and grabbing Captain Levi's shoulders, forcing their lips together.

Just as Levi was pushing her off and away from him, angry curses rising from within his conscience, the door to his bathroom opened and the two heard the intimidating words of Mikasa Ackerman, who stood in the threshold, towel rapped around her naked figure.

"_What the hell?_"

* * *

**OOPS. I feel bad for that one. Sorry, guys.**

**And I just felt like I could really relate to Lucie's line of dialogue: "Stop rambling, please. You're giving me a migraine."**

**SAME LUCIE. SAME.**

**Please leave reviews and ideas for me? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4

**You guys are seriously _the best_ at reviewing. Thank you for doing so! It really does brighten my mood reading your reviews. Enjoy! **

* * *

Jada reeled back in horror as Levi put more distance between himself and the delusional teenager in front of him, wiping his lips with the arm of his white button-up which were rolled up to his elbows. He had half the mind to strike his palm across her face, but convinced himself not to; after all, she _was_ still a female. And, believe it or not, he was above hitting women.

"Great. Now I'll have to deep clean this shirt," Levi muttered in deep annoyance, fixing an irate glare onto Amsden, who stared at both Ackermans with wide eyes. "Tch," came the irritated sound to leave his lips as Jada opened her mouth, probably to spew excuses. "Leave, Amsden."

"I..." Jada whispered, and Mikasa was still too stunned to say anything, even though millions of livid insults and colorfully-worded phrases that would've made Levi proud were running rampant in her mind.

"Please, just.." Mikasa said, looking Jada straight into the eyes, and upon finding that she couldn't bare to, she turned her head to the side and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Just leave. Please just get out." Seconds that felt like hours passed, and the cadet still has not moved, frozen in place. "_Leave_, Amsden!" The older woman yelled, finally becoming enraged enough to raise her voice; raising her voice was something she would've never done under normal circumstances, but this.. this was nothing close to typical.

Finally coming to her senses upon the events that just took place, Jada scurried away, cursing her mind for getting her into this situation in the first place.

Mikasa walked over to the half-opened door, closing it quietly and locking it. Just as Levi opened his mouth to explain to her the turn of events, Mikasa quietly muttered a, "no," to stop him. He closed his mouth and watched her silently as she went back into the bathroom to get dressed. When she came back out, she sat down on the edge of the bed next to him wordlessly, resting her hand over his up on his thigh.

"You don't have to explain anything to me. There were rumors about Cadet Amsden that I have heard that mentioned her crush on you, but I never thought that she would actually act on it. I know that she forced herself on you," she said, squeezing his hand in reassurance. "It's okay."

Levi sighed in relief, closing his eyes. Even though it seemed to be fine to Mikasa, it wasn't to him. A female's lips touched his own, and it wasn't Mikasa's. He wasn't okay with that. When he opened his eyes, he got up, gave the woman next to him a soft kiss on the forehead as to say _'thank you for understanding', _and then he took off his shirt and threw it into the washing machine before taking a long shower to scrub off anything even remotely _Jada_ from his body.

* * *

The next morning was the supposed final day before all of the titans were to be nonexistent and the final time they would be going on a mission. If things went according to plan, hundreds of humble soldiers from the Survey Corps and the Garrison would be homeless and jobless. Those employed in the Military Police Brigade would still be employed, but thousands in that branch would be deployed, leaving only a few hundred to regulate and maintain order within the walls.

Mikasa slipped on her heavy, green cloak which showed off the symbol of her branch of military: the Wings of Freedom. She turned to see Levi, cloak already on, checking his gear.

"Mind handing me my scarf, old man?" she asked, reaching her hand out towards him to retrieve the piece of garment.

"I'm only five years older than you, brat," he said, placing the scarf into her pale, outstretched hand.

"Doesn't matter," she replied, smiling. "all that does is that you're _older_ than me, which would deem the nickname '_old_ man' fitting."

"Smart ass," he muttered beneath his breath, reaching down to his belt to readjust it to become tighter around his waist.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Let's just get to the others. We're supposed to be there early."

* * *

The two got into their starting positions, waiting on horseback for one more cadet— Jada. While she was waiting, she turned to see Cadet Lucie Braden, deep bags under her eyes.

"You look pretty shitty today," Mikasa noted, and the blonde cadet chuckled.

"You sound just like Captain Levi. This is how I know you two were meant to be," she replied, her voice scratchy. "His colorful choice of words has obviously rubbed off on you."

Mikasa laughed quietly in response. When Lucie turned away, the first lieutenant found herself examining her. It was hard to believe the cadet was only sixteen years old. She had a certain air of sophistication and maturity that made her seem older than even herself.

When Jada came running forward, quickly getting onto her horse and grabbing its reins. Levi gave Erwin a short nod, signaling that they were ready to start.

"Does everyone remember their roles and positions? Remember the plan. Captain Levi's team and Captain Hanji's team have the responsibility of luring the remaining titans into the heart of the Forest of Giant Trees from both sides. Captain Levi's squad will be coming from the west, Captain Hanji's from the east, and Captain Mike's squad, Soldier Jaegar included, will be riding straight to the forest with me. Captain Mike's squad, you all will be responsible for surrounding the targets and preventing escape," the commander announced, voice clear and strong.

After pausing to check for understanding, Commander Erwin raised the signal flare in his hand up into the air and fired. Mikasa watched as a column of green erupted from within the flare and flew into the sky, smoke rising up after it. The column of green swirled in the air for a few seconds before disappearing all together.

Levi spurred his horse forward, shooting off into the distance. Mikasa quickly followed, and, soon, everyone else in their squad rode behind the two in close proximity.

After just a few seconds of riding, several titans have already spotted them and ran after the soldiers. Mikasa turned around to glance at the cadets. Everyone seemed to be doing fine; those in the back, however, looked a bit fearful and anxious due to how close the titans running behind them were. Jada, who rode in the middle of the group, looked terror-stricken despite being surrounded by other members of the squad on all sides. When the two made eye contact, Amsden's face grew red and her eyes darted away, choosing instead to focus on the space in front of her.

"Captain?" one of the new cadets who rode in the back yelled, panic obvious in his voice. "I don't feel too comfortable this close within the vicinity of the titans!" he called out, his breathing quick and heavy. It was Cadet Brad Arnette who spoke.

Levi didn't care to respond, and Mikasa was the only one besides two of the senior cadets to understand why. Cadet Arnette needed to learn to trust their captain's judgement. If the distance between his squad and the titans was not something he thought they could handle without death, then he would've done something about it.

Cadet Arnette's concerns quickly died down; she could feel that he had some hint of the reasoning behind his captain's lack of response.

Within minutes, they had nine titans clambering after them. It was then that they entered the Forest of Giant Trees and spotted members of Captain Mike's squad up in the trees, ready to step in and intervene if titans tried to escape. Captain Hanji's team was already within the heart of the forest, as were Eren, who was in his titan form, and Commander Erwin's team. The forest was swarmed with titans and soldiers maneuvering around them with their 3DMG devices. They all dismounted their horses, flying off into the trees to help in battle. Some of the new cadets watched in amazement from atop the trees as Levi glided and spun about with his 3DMG device in the air, blades twirling and shining dramatically in the sunlight as he decapitated several titans in one go. He seemed to have the power of an entire brigade and looked to be the best at using his 3DMG by comparison with the other soldiers. He fairly outweighed the other soldiers.

"What are you shitheads standing there for? Get your asses moving!" Levi yelled as he stopped and turned in their direction.

Startled and surprised that they got caught, Jada, Brad, Holden, and several others from their class flew from the tree and into the midst of the fight.

* * *

Mikasa had already killed six titans when she saw it from the corner of her eye: Cadet Amsden was in trouble. The teenager was stuck in a seven-meter titan's grasp. Sweat gleamed off of the younger girl's forehead as she flailed and thrashed, trying desperately to escape. Mikasa flew forward, spinning and swinging in arcs. When she reached the backside of the titan, she raised her blades and spun once more, cutting a deep, clean gash into the nape of its neck. Just as the titan collapsed, steam rising out from its body and almost crushing Cadet Amsden, Mikasa felt herself fly downwards and she grabbed the cadet by the arm, keeping her out of harm's way. They stopped on the branch of one of the trees, and Mikasa let go of the cadet.

Too stunned by the fact that she had almost died and that she was saved by the one woman who hated her more than anyone, Jada just simply stood there, shaking uncontrollably.

"You may have intruded into my relationship, lost the little respect I had for you, and you may be the one person I despise most, but I don't let my soldiers die and leave me feeling guilty, knowing that I could've done something to save them. I am not that person," Mikasa said, a certain ferocity in her voice that surprised Jada. "That would render me an unhonorable soldier, and I refuse to be that. Be more careful, Amsden," the raven-haired woman said before jumping off the branch and swinging towards the heat of the battle once more.

Jada closed her eyes and sighed as tears slipped out from her ducts, sliding down her cheeks. She was feeling like the worst possible human on this earth at the moment. She didn't deserve Mikasa's kindess.

She joined Reina in battle, a certain sinking feeling in her stomach never leaving.

* * *

"Why are more titans entering?" Commander Erwin asked, raising his voice to a yell to be heard above the noise of clashing blades. "I thought that these titans were all that were left!"

"They're— they're coming from the north, Commander! A wave of titans are approaching!" One of the soldiers from Captain Mike's squad yelled in reply.

"Damn it," Levi muttered to himself as he finished killing one more titan and stopped to wipe the blood off from his blades. He looked up and saw that— indeed, more titans _were_ coming from the north. "We can't fight off that wave without serious loss, Erwin. We need to retreat."

The commander swung himself up onto a branch and looked for himself to see that Levi's statement was true. They wouldn't be able to handle that amount without killing off more than half of their whole brigade. "Where the hell are they coming from?! They're supposed to be scarce, almost ext— " He was cut off when the void was filled by a blood-curdling scream that came from one of the new female cadets.

She screamed again, her cries growing more hysterical as everyone turned to watch Cadets Brad Arnette, Reina Heredia, and several more that he didn't recognize either get snapped into two and thrown into a titan's mouth, or crushed into fine ribbons of scarlet red liquid in a titan's hand.

"Retreat to headquarters!" Erwin yelled in the midst of chaos, firing a blue signal flare into the sky. "The mission is unsuccessful and has been terminated! Everyone _retreat_!"

Levi and Mikasa sought each other out and ran to retrieve their horses. Some of the soldiers resorted to sharing one horse after not being able to locate the whereabouts of their own. The brigade took off towards their headquarters, each second taking them further and further away from the mob of titans.

* * *

When they were back within the safe confinement of their headquarters, a headcount ensued in order to take in the number of deaths. They have 1,500 soliders in the legion (which was a healthy comparison to the 300 soldiers they had three years ago). One hundred and fifty soldiers were serving in this mission. They had only counted one hundred and twelve soldiers left. Thirty-eight soldiers had passed away in this failed mission.

And suddenly, just within one moment of time, the moods of the entire legion became dampened. One hundred and fifty soldiers went on that mission with high hopes and leaning on the fact that their freedom would soon be granted. They went into that mission, thinking that their efforts would change the world for humanity's benefit..

Only to find out that nothing has changed. Titans would continue to run rampant in the lands outside the walls, leaving the townsfolk trapped within the walls and giving them the constant fear of being endangered.

_Nothing has changed, _Mikasa thought as she leaned into Levi and pressed her face into the crook of his neck. _And nothing will change._

* * *

**I'VE JUST REALIZED THE PERFECT PLOT TWIST I CAN INCORPORATE INTO THIS STORY. And it'll lead to a sequel to this story. I still have to figure out and plan the events in between though.. if I don't, this would be a rather short first installment. Thank you for reading! Leave a review! :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**** NOTE ** Krista Lenz is not part of the royal family. The Reiss family does not exist in this fanfiction story. Also, Levi is twenty-four years old and Mikasa is nineteen.**

* * *

Jada and Lucie stood side by side, watching silently as the senior cadets went back outside the walls to retrieve the bodies of the fallen cadets who died in the latest mission.

Thirty-eight people died only a few hours ago. Since then, the sky that was once sunny and bright darkened and became gloomy— just like the moods of those in legion. Lucie imagined that the townsfolk would become glum as well, some even outraged.

When the senior cadets came back, all of whom were safe and unharmed, it was apparent that they weren't able to find many bodies. They had only been able to retrieve twelve. Lucie's eyebrows furrowed as she looked over to her left to see Jada whimpering quietly, a hand covering the brunette's mouth. Her green eyes were locked on two particular limp bodies: Brad Arnette and Reina Heredia. The two had been in their squad. They were living, breathing people not too long ago.. It was hard to believe they'd been reduced to nothing but pale skin and sunken eyes.

Lucie tore her eyes away from the girl beside her and chose to stare out at the senior cadets and the three captains who proceeded to dig graves into the grassy fields. This was exactly what would continue happening if they didn't stop those monsters. Titans will continue terrorizing everyone and the humble soldiers from their military would continue giving their lives selflessly in order to preserve the hope for mankind and recover what had been lost.

Lucie sighed, crossing her arms. She took her eyes off of the senior cadets and the three captains; her eyes, instead, fell on Mikasa Ackerman. The onyx-haired woman's face remained stoic and passive as she looked out at the scene before her. Eren Jaegar stood beside his adoptive sister, Armin Arlert behind the two.

She turned and elbowed the man next to her, Holden Sage, sending him a pointed look. He shook his head.

"Not yet," he told her, and she gave him a small nod before returning her eyes to the scene in front of her.

* * *

Mikasa felt a pair of eyes on her back and turned around to see Cadet Braden and Cadet Sage take their eyes off of her before whispering to each other quietly, unaware of her stare. It was odd how old Cadet Sage looked; he seemed to be around Levi's age. And Cadet Braden definitely looked older than the age of sixteen.

* * *

"The king's secretary helped spread the news after Erwin reported the growing wave of titans. The townsfolk are in a panic," Levi tells Mikasa later that day as the settled into bed. She laid down next to him and pulled the sheets up to her neck; his arm stretched around her shoulder to pull her closer to him.

"Do you know how the king will handle it?" She asked as she lowered her head onto his chest. Their hands intertwined mindlessly, as if out of habit.

"The panic or the titans?"

"The titans," she replied, clarifying his question.

"Well," he whispered, turning his head to look at her, "there's this shitty rumor floating around that he's already sent his people into the Garrison and the Survey Corps to find more royal guards for him. So all that old pig is doing is protecting himself. Putting himself first before his people."

"If that 'shitty rumor' is true, that means there are already people here, in our headquarters, looking for new royal guards?"

"Tch," he said, a lilting smirk appearing on his lips. "I actually doubt that's true. The old man's withering away. He would drop dead before anything actually happens."

"Levi," she chastised, but a smile still appeared on her pink lips.

"Get some sleep," is all he says before he presses a firm kiss onto her forehead, and he falls silent.

Mikasa sighs and closes her eyes, waiting for the darkness to overcome her.

* * *

The next morning, Mikasa is slipping on her boots when she pauses to the sound of Erwin's blaring voice over the intercom system. Levi exits the bathroom, towel tied dangerously low on his hips and the bright lights above them casting a shining sheen on his toned abs; steam follows him out the door. He nonchalantly gets dressed as Erwin speaks.

"Good morning cadets, lieutenants, and captains. Please report to the main gathering room located on the north wing for an announcement made by the royal court. Attendance is required. Arrive within five minutes."

"The royal court?" Mikasa asks, turning around to look at Levi (who was tying his cravat around his neck) with wide eyes.

"It seems that 'shitty rumor' I told you yesterday might be true after all," Levi muttered, sighing. "We really can't afford to lose more soldiers. Especially to the Military Police Brigade. All those lazy shitheads do is parade their rifles around town and have tea with the king. Tch."

Mikasa pursed her lips. "Come on, Levi. We need to get going," she tells him as she steps towards the door and turns the lock before cracking it open. "We're going to be late if you keep on brooding."

"You see, Mikasa, this is why I keep you around. You keep me in check." He looks at her with a sardonic smirk, and she gives him a soft slap to the cheek.

* * *

When they arrive, there's a deep red carpet with gold trim going down the center of the room, royal blue velvet ropes tying off the crowds of cadets and liuetenants from both sides. The carpet leads up to a golden throne that was currently empty with red, plush cushioning. Commander Erwin stood to the right side of the throne, hands folded behind his back. Hanji and Mike stood slightly behind him, their hands folded behind their backs as well.

Noticing that the other captains were standing with the commander, Levi gave her hand a tight squeeze and pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling back and walking up to stand with his fellow captains. Mikasa watched as he assumed the same position as the other three before she walked to the front and stood with Eren and Armin on the right side of the room.

"Silence!" Commander Erwin ordered, his voice loud and steady. Almost instantaneously, the room became quiet enough to heard a pin drop. Everyone stood, staring wordlessly at the commander and eagerly awaiting the news that would have to be paramount as the royal court was involved.

That was when the double doors opened and trumpets bellowed. Five people dressed in red overcoats, black slacks, and black dress shoes entered, each playing the trumpet. They continued to play until they marched behind the throne and stopped playing at once, lowering their trumpets and staring straight ahead, hands at their sides.

Mikasa and everyone else in the room save for Erwin and the royal trumpet players watched in confusion as Cadet Lucie Braden stepped forward from the right side of the room, composedly walking to stand by the left side of the throne.

"_What in the world is going_—" Mikasa wondered quietly, but she didn't get to finish her rhetorical question because the doors opened once more and the king entered. The room erupted in quiet whispers. Although he was decked out from head to toe in jewels, gold, and velvet, he didn't look too well. His skin was as pale as snow and his eyes dark and sunken. At his side was Cadet Holden Sage, who Mikasa automatically assumed was helping the older man make his way up to the throne. When King Windsor finally sat down on the throne, Cadet Sage stood next to Cadet Braden. Cameras and microphones followed them into the room.

'_Is this appearance going on television?'_ Mikasa wondered, and she found that she was correct when she saw the beeping red light blinking on every single one of the cameras, all of which were labeled with the name of a national newscast.

King Windsor cleared his throat, which lead to the silence of every person in the room. "You all may be wondering why I have ordered this gathering this morning," he said, his voice gravelly and gruff. "There have been rumors floating around that I have hand-selected a few people whom I trust dearly to enter the premises of the Garrison and the Survey Corps." He paused, and Mikasa turned to look at Levi, who had done the same. They turned back to the king as he continued. "That rumor is true." Once more, the people around her began whispering, sharing their suspicions about what was about to come. "For months now, I have had two people gathering intellect, reporting back to me every week. I have here with me a recruit from the Military Police Brigade: Lucie Braden." Gasps echoed throughout the vast room; Mikasa's face held shock as she watched Lucie smirk. "And I also have with me my son, who I am proud to announce as the new king, for I'm stepping down from the throne." Everyone watched in revelation as the former king removed the royal crown from his head and beckoned his blonde son forward. He stood up shakily as Holden knelt down onto one knee, ready to receive the crown. Trembling hands lower the gold that was encrusted with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires and glinted in the light onto Holden's head. When he stood up again, the former king moved off to the side so that the new king could stand in front of the throne. "Everyone.. please bow down for your new ruler: King Holden Sage Windsor!"

Out of respect, the soldiers all bent down at the waist, coming back up again to place their right fists over their hearts and their left fists behind their backs. When the king sat down on the throne, their hands went back to their sides.

"At ease, soldiers," King Sage Windsor said, a small smile on his face. "Now, as for that rumor, Officer Braden and I have been examining you all in order to scope out the best of the best. And I do believe that we've found the best." The king's kind, yet stern green eyes wandered around the room... until they fell on her. Mikasa felt uncomfortable as others followed the direction of his stare and made the connection. She inhaled shakily, glancing at Levi, who seemed to be both shocked and worried, before directing her stare back at the king. "First Lieutenant Ackerman, if you could please step forward and stand by Officer Braden." She reluctantly did so, clenching her fists which were by her side. She could sense Levi's growing displeasure from the other side of the throne. "As you all know, First Lieutenant Ackerman has gone through many hardships as of late. And she has survived. She has gone on... finding the power to not only fully recovering from her eight months outside of the walls in solitary, but she has also been training nonstop to gain back her strength. But before all of this, she had risen from the position of a first-year cadet to the position of first lieutenant in a matter of only two years and earned herself the title of the Woman Worth a Hundred Soldiers." He paused, turning his head to the left to send her a warm smile. "And if that does not sound promising enough, I do not know what does." He took a breath and turned back to face the crowd. "That is why I have selected her as one of my royal guards."

* * *

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